To Love Somebody
by mallelen
Summary: When Rogue joined the Xmen there was deal made with Magneto. Now he's come to collect...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Deal with the Devil

"Back off!" Rogue yelled over her shoulder as she stormed down the hall to her room. Gambit was left standing in the upper hallway of the Xavier institute, completely perplexed. He flinched as the sound of her door slamming shook the entire mansion.

"What's wit dat girl?" He mused out loud.

"Maybe it's your breath, Cajun. Had any gumbo lately?" Wolverine said from behind. Gambit turned with his eyes already narrowed.

"Can't resist kicking a man when he is down, non?"

Wolverine edged his way around his fellow X-Man and leaned on the door to Gambit's room. He took a cigar from his pocket and lit up.

"Are you down, Cajun?"

"I'd say so," Remy saw where Logan was going with the conversation. Wolverine had never cared much for him and he wondered if his relationship with Rogue bothered Logan because she represented the X-Men or because she represented something more to Logan than he even knew.

"You don't know down," Wolverine said taking a puff on his cigar, "Down is when your girlfriend turns into a cyborg or dies in your arms--."

"Or marries another man, non?" Gambit smiled wryly. Logan's eyes took on a hateful gaze.

"Watch where you step, Cajun."

"Why? You feel like getting nasty?" Gambit leaned back on the door to Logan's room. "If you wish to fight, mon ami, I've nothing better to do." Gambit took out a cigarette and, following Logan's cue, lit up.

"Perhaps there is some insight to Rogue you could share?" he asked shaking out the match. Logan eyed him suspiciously.

"What insight do you need other than SHE CAN'T TOUCH YOU!" Logan snapped and then added, "Or anybody else."

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong," Gambit grinned, "she touches Gambit all de time." He pushed his way past Logan and into his room shutting the door behind him.

Rage boiled inside Wolverine for a split second but then it resided into something else.

Love.

He didn't know how or why, but recently his thoughts seemed to linger on Rogue more and more. Now he knew why. She wasn't Jean or Mariko or his usual type of woman. She was strong and at the same time tortured. Like him. Yet she still rose above her plight everyday. She was touching him, too, he realized. Maybe more than Gambit.

Logan turned to go into his room when the alarm went off. All the doors down the hall started flying open, X-Men answering the call.

Rogue was lying on her bed in tears when the alarm went off. She had just enough time unclench her first from the crumpled photograph and leave it on her bed. It was a picture of Erik Lehnsherr. She popped out her door and into the hallway. The mansion was alive with footsteps as the X-Men raced, flew, teleported, and phased to the War Room.

Rogue soared into the war room and took her seat around the table. Wolverine, sat down beside her. Kitty Pryde was on her other side. Cyclops and Jean were across from her. Nightcrawler, Storm, and Iceman just down from her. Gambit slid into a seat next to Iceman. Rogue didn't look at him, but she could feel his eyes burning into her. Or was it simply his thoughts? She and Remy weren't Scott and Jean. There was no psychic link between their hearts. Yet even as she thought that, she knew it wasn't true. His heart seemed to pulse with hers. He always seemed to know when she needed him -and when she didn't- but regardless of the situation she knew he wanted to be beside her. She swallowed hard and turned her attention to the Professor.

"What's the sit', Charlie?" Wolverine pressed. He seemed anxious for anything to take his mind off his interlude with Gambit. Death, destruction, imminent danger seemed like the best bet.

Professor Xavier inhaled slowly and then turned and looked directly into Rogue's mind.

_Rogue, I fear that you and I must now answer for past promises. Know that regardless of what is about to happen the X-Men will stand beside you and your wishes will be taken into account._

Yes, Professor. Ah understand. Came Rogue's response.__

Good. For I fear that when the others learn of the deal we made so long ago they may question our actions and our loyalties, but don't let their fearful words cut too deeply into your heart. We all think of you as an X-Man first and foremost and perhaps our resident "southern belle" secondly.

Rogue felt Xavier physically smile and then he exited her mind.

"X-Men," He began strongly, "It appears that we have unfinished business with Magneto of the most sensitive nature." Xavier glanced at Rogue for a second and then back to the table.

"When Rogue came to us,"

Gambit's ears pricked at her name and he straightened from his usual slump in his chair.

"She was desperate. Her power was completely out of control and the other personas she had absorbed were fighting her own personality for control." Rogue felt her face go hot as the other X-Men turned to look at her.

"It was Mystique that brought her to us, in the hopes that I could aid the child in finding some semblance of control… I regret that I have not been successful."

Rogue's eyes began to well with tears.

"What you don't know is that when Mystique brought Rogue to us she also brought terms."  
Gambit felt his body grow stiff with tension. Wolverine felt his heart racing as he looked from the professor to Rogue and back.

"Rogue would be allowed sanctuary with the Brotherood's enemy and Magneto would not pursue the return of his student for seven years, long enough for me to have a sufficient chance to help her master her power or for the onset of adulthood to possibly grant her that ability."

"What's supposed to happen after the time's up?" Wolverine blurted out.

Rogue was taken aback by Logan's impatience.

Professor Xavier braced himself, "She is to be returned… to the Brotherhood."

There was a sudden clamor amongst the table.

"Or she will be taken by force," Xavier finished silencing the din.

"Then we fight to protect her!" Gambit said standing up.

"We won't allow one of our own to be taken this way," Storm said.

"It isn't that simple-," Xavier began.

"We've fought Magneto before, Professor," Cyclops said strongly, "We can protect Rogue from anything the Brotherhood has to throw at us."

"Isn't Magneto like 60 now anyway?" Iceman chimed in.

"You're all not listening!" Rogue said standing up, tears running down her face, "We made a promise, the Professor and I."

"With the enemy!" Wolverine shouted.  
"With a terrorist!" Gambit added.

"He may be all those things, but he took me in and then was willing to let me go to his enemy for help. I can't… I won't betray the kindness of what Magneto did by not living up to mah end of the deal."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Allegiances 

A silence engulfed the X-Men as they watched Rogue, perhaps the strongest woman in the world -nearly invulnerable, break down before them.

"Ah'm sorry. I don't want to go," her tears splashed onto the table, "I think of this as my home… and you," she looked from face to face, "as my family. But ah can't--."

"You can do anything you wanna do," Wolverine said putting a hand on hers. Gambit felt his eyes magnetically drawn to where their hands intersected. Rogue looked up at Wolverine for a moment. Gambit watched a flash of wonderment go through her and then she pulled her hand away.

"It's not that easy, Logan. If ah don't return with Magneto y'all will be in danger. Ah never wanted that."

"We been in plenty o' danger before, Chere," Gambit said leaning forward on the table. He wanted to rush to her side, pull her to him, and let the warmth between them comfort and steel her, but he knew her. He knew she needed to find the strength within herself. She had spent too many years being a "rogue" to truly be able to rely on others when times where hard.

"You don't know Magneto, like Ah do…," Rogue said, "He'll stop at nothing."

"And we made an agreement," Professor Xavier said to break the silence.

"So are we going to honor an agreement with the enemy?" Cyclops began, "Or are we to understand that Rogue," he said her name without looking at her, as if she wasn't there, "has never truly been a member of this team — just a member of the Brotherhood on loan for the time being?"

"Scott!" Jean said taken aback by his callousness.

"I don't' like where you're goin' with that," Wolverine growled.

"Eh, Wolvie, perhaps it's time you and I work together, non?" Gambit half rose, "You hold him down and I'll--."

X-MEN! Professor Xavier's mental yell silenced them with its sheer psychic force.

"Now that I have your attention I will refrain from causing you further discomfort, but we must stand together. Magneto has already sent word that he will be here at dawn tomorrow to collect Rogue. He also sent the warning that if anyone seeks to renege on our promise not only will they be putting themselves in danger, but Rogue as well."

The Professor wiped his brow with a handkerchief and then sighed.

"Cyclops, if you have questions perhaps now is the time to get them into the open, only please do so without causing a riot!"  
Cyclops set his jaw, "Very well, Professor. I mean no disrespect. I just don't understand how the two of you could have some sort of secret alliance with one of our greatest adversaries."

"It is not an alliance, Scott. More like a truce on this and only this particular matter." Xavier corrected."You mean Rogue?" Scott asked harshly.

"Yes," the Professor nodded. "It was for her benefit that Magneto and I came to this… understanding. Only so we could see if I could aid the young woman who was, at the time, beside herself. She wasn't doing Magneto any good in that condition, but he wasn't about to relinquish her indefinitely to his enemies either."

"Well, what are we going to do? What's the plan?" Wolverine asked his own fear starting to creep up on him. There was silence. Finally Xavier turned to Rogue.

"The choice is yours, as it has always been, Rogue."

She hung her head.

"I…"

Wolverine felt his heart beating out of control. He hadn't ever seen her like this — not for years anyway. She looked meek and afraid. He was used to her strong willed "if you have a problem smack it a few times" attitude. Now she looked like the young girl that had first shown up on Xavier's doorstep.

"You gonna let this happen to you, kid?" He said standing up. Rogue looked up at him, afraid of what he was going to say.

"You going to just quit like that? You're either an X-Man your you aint." said Wolverine.

Rogue swallowed and looked around the table. All seemed to be waiting with baited breath for her answer.

"The X-Men would never abandon one of their own," Cyclops said quietly but his words struck her right in the heart.

She stood up.

"Then ah guess ah can't abandon the X-Men."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Home is where the Heart is

There was only a small desk lamp beside Rogue's bed casting a lonely glow across the room. It was joined by a spear of yellow as Gambit slowly pushed open the door.

"Cherie?" he called quietly. His heart jumped into his throat as his eyes adjusted and he noticed the glass doors to her balcony were open, a cool breeze billowing the curtains. Had she changed her mind? Had that talk in the War Room about not abandoning the X-Men been only to allow her escape to go unhindered?

He sat down on her bed, stricken. A deer in headlights of emptiness. He only knew her as a presence in the mansion, not a lover like the kind who'd curl up in your bed at night and wake you with kisses. She was there. Not in his arms, not even his room, but there in his house. It was as if his heart had grown to become the mansion itself, for only there could he hold her. His mind raced, then devolved into grief. He reached blindly grabbing hold of the quilt that had always covered her bed. But his hand touched something else. It was a crumpled piece of paper. He brought it over to the lamp and uncrumpled it. It was a photograph… of Magneto.

Then something in Gambit's heart stirred and without another thought he walked out onto to the balcony. He jumped nimbly up onto the banister and, grabbing hold of the drainpipe, swung himself up onto the roof. He only had to walk a few steps before he could make out Rogue's shape outlined against the full moon.

"Chere?" He called gently.

"Remy?" Rogue moved into the light causing the tears on her face to shine. Gambit had learned to read her through her voice. He could tell when she was approachable and when she was made of steel. Now he heard softness in her voice, her eagerness to be embraced, and he rushed to her.

"You alright?" He asked sliding down next to her and putting his arm around her.

"No. No, Ah'm not alright, Ah don't know what ah'm doing."

"You stayin' aint you?" He asked so quickly he gave himself away. She smiled up at him, but fresh tears shone in her eyes.

Logan entered Rogue's room and found it dark and empty. He felt a surge of complex emotions rush through him as he surveyed the open window. He hurried to the bed and switched off the lamp. He wanted to concentrate on his sense of smell and the visuals would distract him. Alone in the dark he tried to focus but Rogue's scent kept sending his mind reeling through thoughts and memories. He remembered when she had accompanied him on their mission in Japan after the rest of the X-Men had been poisoned. She had been so eager to prove herself to him - to all of the them. She wanted to be a "good guy".

'Rogue has never truly been a member of this team.' Cyclops' angry words echoed in his head.

Has she? He wondered. His mind took him back to Japan when Rogue had taken a near fatal gun blast to save his fiancée, Mariko. She had almost died in his arms.

'I just don't understand how the two of you could have some sort of secret alliance with one of our greatest adversaries.' Again Cyclops' protests echoed and he thought back to all the times, in the heat of battle, that Rogue had absorbed an enemy's power and then mistakenly turned on the X-Men. But it had been her power. It was out of control.

"It still is I'm afraid."

Wolverine didn't even flinch. He had been warned of Jean's approach by her scent and the faint rustle of her hair long before she had entered the room.

"She aint here," Wolverine said turning around.

"No, but you are," Jean said walking up to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jean looked away.

"I was just surprised by your… zeal today in the War Room. I didn't realize you and Rogue were so close."

Jean flicked the lights on with her mind.

"She's helped me out of a few tight spots… I was there when…." He suddenly began to feel himself losing emotional control. He could barely get the words out. All he could remember was Rogue lying there in his arms, her uniform soaked with blood, the smell of charred flesh from the blaster wound. It had been the only way to save her… he had let her absorb his healing factor through a kiss.

"I was there when she became an X-Man."

Wolverine was surprised to feel Jean on the edge of his thoughts. Part of her wanted to enter his mind and probe his feelings. She resisted, but only just.

"You didn't say much at the meeting, Red. What's your take?" Wolverine said trying to turn the conversation. His ploy didn't go unnoticed.

"I-."

"Agree with Scott," Wolverine finished her sentence. Jean looked irritated.

"I agree with his reservations. You have to admit it is startling to find out the Professor made a deal with Magneto."

"Charlie's never been as much of a boy scout as Cyclops makes him out to be."

Jean was silent. Wolverine took one last look around the room and mustered his courage.

"Well it doesn't matter now, the kid's gone," Wolverine said turning to go.

"She hasn't gone far, Logan."

He stopped.

Jean wondered at his level of distraction. Couldn't he smell her? Them?

"She's on the roof. Gambit is with her."

Rogue had cried till she couldn't cry anymore and had fallen asleep on Gambit's now damp shoulder. He watched her tenderly as she slept.

"I always said you could cry on my shoulder. Didn't know you'd ever take me up on it literally," He tried to wrap his coat around her to keep off the cold, but she stirred.

"Remy?"

"Right here, mah sweet." She looked up at him with such satisfaction at waking to his face that for a moment Gambit felt his breath taken away.

"You all cried out now?" He asked as she sat up rubbing her eyes.

"I think so," she smiled at him, "I just needed to fall apart, I guess."

"So you can be tough as nails tomorrow," Gambit said touching her cheek carefully with his glove. Rogue sighed and snuggled up into his arms.

They were silent for some time until Gambit asked what had been gnawing at his mind.

"You knew today was the day, didn't you?"

Rogue looked up at him. In the moonlight his eyelashes made his face seem delicate, his eyes even more so.

"Yes, ah knew. Part o' me had been hoping today would never come, hoping he had forgotten our deal."

"You could've told me, warned me," Gambit said softly.

"I had to put it out o' my mind. I couldn't go forward with that hanging on to me. We all have our secrets, Gambit — you've taught me that."

For a moment Gambit was afraid he had pushed her too far, and, like all their tender moments, somehow he had turned it sour, but she quickly stifled that fear.

"You also taught me that the past doesn't have to effect the present. I was hoping for a second chance when I joined the X-Men. A chance to be one of the good guys — a hero. I never thought I would find so much in this Yankee mansion."

Gambit smiled as he remembered only hours prior imagining that the mansion was his heart, embracing her in the only way he could.

"The X-Men love you, Rogue." He tried to savor this moment, as they had had so few moments of true closeness, but the impending Tomorrow kept coming back into his thoughts. He held her tighter as if to ward off the onset of time.

"Ah love you too, Gambit."


End file.
